Phelps County Criminal Defense Lawyers

JMH Law Firm, LLC takes criminal defense and traffic cases in Phelps County courts. Our offices are in St. Charles and Brentwood, in the St. Louis area. We don't have an office in Phelps County.

Because I-44 runs through Rolla, this page also covers what happens after a stop on the interstate.

The Phelps County Courthouse in Rolla

Phelps County is part of Missouri's 25th Judicial Circuit, along with Maries, Pulaski and Texas counties. State criminal and traffic cases in Phelps County are filed at the Phelps County Courthouse, 200 N. Main Street, Rolla, MO 65401.

• Circuit Clerk: Suite 201, (573) 458-6210.
• Prosecuting Attorney: in the same building, (573) 458-6170.

To check a court date, the charges or the attorney of record, search the case on Missouri Case.net.

How a criminal case moves through the 25th Circuit

Missouri's circuit courts have two levels of judges, and a felony usually passes through both:

1. Charges are filed, usually after an arrest and a review by the Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney.
2. Preliminary hearing. For a felony, an associate circuit judge decides whether there is probable cause to believe a crime was committed and that you committed it. If so, the case is "bound over" to a circuit judge.
3. Arraignment in circuit court, then pretrial motions, then a plea or trial.

Misdemeanors skip the preliminary hearing.

Pretrial motions matter in I-44 cases. If a search was unlawful, a motion to suppress can keep the evidence it produced out of the case.

I-44 stops and the Missouri State Highway Patrol

Troop I of the Missouri State Highway Patrol is headquartered in Rolla, on the northwest edge of town at exit 185 on I-44. It covers Crawford, Dent, Laclede, Maries, Phelps and Pulaski counties. A trooper's stop on the interstate usually leads to state charges in the circuit court, not in a city court.

Drug charges

The questions in a highway drug case usually start with the stop itself:

• Why was the car pulled over?
• How long was it held?
• Was the search based on consent, a warrant or something else?

The law, as of 2026:

• Possession of most controlled substances is a class D felony under RSMo 579.015.
• Marijuana: adults 21 and over may possess three ounces or less under Article XIV of the Missouri Constitution. Larger amounts and sales without a license can still be charged, and the constitution doesn't protect driving under the influence of marijuana.
• Trafficking charges under RSMo 579.068 depend mainly on the amount of the drug. They cover anyone who knowingly "brings into this state" more than the threshold amount, which matters on an interstate.

Some drug cases are prosecuted in federal court instead. Learn more on our pages about drug crimes, marijuana charges and federal drug trafficking.

DWI arrests

A DWI arrest on I-44 is a state case in Phelps County. It also starts a separate license case with the Missouri Department of Revenue, which has its own short deadlines. See our DWI defense page.

Speeding and other tickets

Many drivers stopped on I-44 are passing through and want to pay the ticket and move on. Many state tickets can be paid online through Missouri's Plead and Pay system on Case.net. As the name says, paying means pleading guilty, and the conviction goes on your driving record.

As of 2026, a speeding conviction under state law carries 3 points, compared with 2 points under a city or county ordinance (RSMo 302.302). Commercial drivers and anyone with prior points have more to lose. Our traffic tickets section explains your options.

Rolla Municipal Court

Tickets from Rolla police for city ordinance violations go to Rolla Municipal Court, a division of the 25th Circuit. Its office is on the second floor of City Hall, 901 N. Elm Street, and court is held in the City Council Chambers. As of 2026, the city lists night court on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. and day court on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. Some cases can be paid online through Case.net before the court date.

Missouri S&T students

Rolla is home to Missouri University of Science and Technology. Under-21 alcohol charges work here as they do anywhere in Missouri. Minor in possession (RSMo 311.325) is a class D misdemeanor on a first offense. A finding of guilt also means a 30-day license suspension for someone over 15 and under 21 (RSMo 302.400). Our Boone County page covers student charges in more detail.

Towns we serve in Phelps County

We take cases from across the county, including Rolla, St. James, Newburg, Doolittle and Edgar Springs.

Talk to a lawyer about your Phelps County case

If you were charged or ticketed in Phelps County, including on I-44, call JMH Law Firm at 314-827-6222 or send us a message. We're based in St. Charles, at 223 N. Main Street, Suite 1, and in Brentwood. See all the areas we serve.